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10/24/2011

Tricuspid Regurgitation is a condition of the heart in which tricuspid valve does not shut correctly, which causes blood to leak into the atrium of the heart when the ventricle narrows. The right ventricle is estranged from right atrium via the tricuspid valve. Tricuspid regurgitation inflicts just 4 out of 100,000 people. It is generally seen in people with a kind of congenital heart disease referred to as Ebstein's anomaly.

The most common cause of tricuspid regurgitation is inflammation of the right ventricle. Enlargement may be related to any ailment that leads to failure of the right ventricle. Mitral regurgitation and mitral stenosis may also lead to or worsen the symptoms of tricuspid.

There are a few diseases that may have direct effect on the tricuspid valve. Rheumatic fever is one of them, which takes place when proper attention is not paid to strep throat infections. Other not so common causes for tricuspid regurgitation are radiation therapy, and Marfan syndrome.

Tricuspid regurgitation can also be caused by a diet medication named Fen-Phen. If a person goes for any kind of dental treatment,bacterium that can enter the blood stream and cause tricuspid regurgitation. The bacteria can pass a disease to a spoilt mitral valve, and this can lead to endocarditis.

Symptoms of Tricuspid regurgitation

There will not be any grave symptoms in the case of tricuspid regurgitation if the patient does not have pulmonary hypertension. If pulmonary hypertension and moderate tricuspid regurgitation are present at the same time, the following symptoms may be present in the patient:

Continuous pulsing sensation in the neck veins

Puffiness of the ankles and feet

Reduced need to urinate

Extreme tiredness, exhaustion

Overall swelling in the body

Distension in the abdomen

Feebleness

Exams and Tests

Doctors can easily discover an idiosyncrasy when they palpate the chest or feel the pulse over the liver. Improper or irregular sounds can be heard upon a stethoscope examination. Collection of any pleural fluid in the abdomen can also attribute to tricuspid regurgitation.

An ECG report can help determine if there is swelling in the right ventricle. Doppler echocardiography can be of help in extreme cases to confirm the blood pressure level inside the lungs and heart.

Treatment of Tricuspid regurgitation

It is not required to go for any kind of treatment for tricuspid regurgitation if there are little to no symptoms. Fluids accumulated in the abdomen can be taken care of with medication. An analysis of the symptoms can best carried out at a hospital. There, the core symptoms should be recognized and provided with adequate treatment. Some people need to go though surgery to mend or replace the tricuspid valve. The procedure is slightly different than that of mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Symptoms of tricuspid regurgitation such as inflammation in the right ventricle and high blood pressure in the lungs may be treated properly to get rid of the disorder. Surgical valve repair by and large offers a cure. Nevertheless, people who cannot be treated for tricuspid regurgitation may have a bad prognosis.

Possible Complications such as a heart attack, endocarditis, and cirrhosis of liver may happen in rare cases. Rapid weight loss and loss of appetite can occur.

When to See a Doctor

Medical attention should be sought out if conditions worsen. Immediate treatment of the condition minimizes risk of tricuspid regurgitation. Strep infections should be treated to prevent rheumatic fever.

It is advisable to tell your doctor if you have any history of heart valve disease or any history of heart problems before getting dental treatment. However, antibiotics will lower the risk of conceiving endocarditis.

A Color Doppler Echocardiogram will show activity that resembles that of tricuspid regurgitation. This is known as physiologic regurgitation. Specialists do not feel the necessity to point out it to the patient, as they will be worried about a usual and not very serious echocardiogram.

To conclude pathologic tricuspid regurgitation, poor compression caused from this condition forces blood backwards across the tricuspid valve from the ventricle on the right quarter, which is the lower portion of the heart that goes to the right atrium which is the upper chamber. Leakage happens for every heart contraction including the right ventricle and could be owing to injury or deformity of the tricuspid valve .The tricuspid valve may also be affected by infection.

Other potential causes of significant tricuspid regurgitation include restrictive cardiomyopathy and constrictive pericarditis. Patients with mild to moderate tricuspid regurgitation lead a normal life and have no restrictions. Most of the restrictions to sports are associated with an underlying associated heart defect or underlying condition such as pulmonary hypertension. Therefore, prognosis in general may depend on the underlying condition and potential risk factors. Long-term complications may include heart failure, endocarditis, weight loss, and liver damage (cirrhosis).